Sonoma County Winegrape Commission

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The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission (SCWC) recently announced its new commissioners and alternates. Ten candidates were re-elected to two-year terms. Newly re-elected commissioners include: Duff Bevill, Bevill Family Vineyards; Joe Dutton, Dutton Ranch; Mark Houser, Hoot Howl Creek and Alexander Valley Vineyards;  Pete Opatz, Silverado Premium Properties; Mike Rowan, Wine Creek Vineyards, and Ronda Smith, UC Cooperative Extension, reappointed as public member.

Commission officers include: Steve Sangiacomo, chairman, Sangiacomo Vineyards; Jim Murphy, vice-chairman, Murphy Ranch, and Joe Dutton, secretary/treasurer, Dutton Ranch.  

Returning commissioners include:John Balletto, Balletto Vineyards, Kevin Barr, KL Barr Vineyards, and Richard Mounts, Mounts Vineyard.

Those newly re-elected as commission alternates include: Chris Bowen, Hunter Farms; Charles Karren, Terra de Promissio; Mark Pasternak, Devil’s Gulch Ranch; Brad Petersen, Fall Creek Vineyards and Steve Thomas, Wildwood Vineyards.

Returning alternates are: Tim Carl, Knights Bridge Vineyards; Joan Griffin, Griffin’s Lair Vineyard; Vicki Michalczyk, Hawk Hill Vineyard; Bill Munselle, Wasson and Munselle Vineyards; and Avtar Sandhu.

Winegrape growers in the California Crush District 3 of Sonoma and Marin counties who sold 25 tons of grapes in 2009 were eligible for nomination as commissioners. The growers then voted on the nominated candidates.

The Commission assessment rate for harvest year 2010 is set at 0.5% (one half percent) of the gross dollar value of District 3 winegrapes sold by growers to vintners. A vintner/purchaser of District 3 winegrapes is obligated by California law to withhold an assessment. Once the assessments are withheld from payments to the growers, the vintner holds the assessments in trust until remitted to the Commission by the deadline of January 10, 2011. Assessments are only withheld on grapes purchased from a non-related entity; do not pay on grapes from your own or your owners’ vineyards in District 3. SCWC Vintner letter and Forms attached below. Please do not hesitate to contact Ginger Baker at (707) 522-5864 or info@sonomawinegrape.org should you have any questions.

Don’t miss the 10th Annual IPM Organic Field Day on Tuesday, August 3, at Shone Farm from 8:00am until 2:00pm.

Pre-registration is required by July 23.

Click this link to register today

For information call 522-5862 or email to ipm@sonomawinegrape.org

Highlights of the event include:

• Water Conservation Strategies by Mark Greenspan, PhD, Advanced Viticulture
• Gopher trap demonstration & comparison: traps as an alternative to pesticides. Demonstration at 7:30am presented by Harmony Farm Supply
• Update on Code of Sustainable Winegrowing and Certification by Lisa Francioni, CSWA
• Sustainable Practices Certification Panel: various perspectives on the program and the process, mechanics of the program, what to expect from auditors, and costs. Audience Q&A.
• European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) – Ag Commissioner Cathy Neville provides an update and harvest protocols
• Highlights of IPM Season
• Dead Arm Disease Management in-vineyard demonstration – how to look for cankers and cut them back appropriately; timing, options for pruning wound protection, double pruning, etc.
• 2.75 CEU “Other” and 0.5 “Laws & Regs” hours available

The Ever-Expanding Theory of "Joint Employer Liability" Workshop

In order to buy fresh grapes from vineyards within the European Grapevine Moth quarantine areas of Napa and Sonoma Counties (or other quarantined counties), you must sign a compliance agreement with the County Agricultural Commissioner.  This requires grapes only be transported after covering the container, e.g. with tarp or screen, and all green material or stems must be properly disposed of.

There are no restrictions for the sale of juice/must or bulk wine.

By Leslie Gevirtz, Reuters Life!

The last thing you would expect to see in a tour of a vineyard is a baseball field. But there is a…

Sonoma County winery and grape growing organizations have reached the consensus needed to pursue legislation that creates conjunction labeling requirements for all regionally wines produced from Sonoma County grapes.

Larry Levine, vice president of marketing and communication of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, is interviewed in the May/June issue of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine about the innovative marketing programs the Commission has developed to market the Sonoma County’s winegrapes and the region.